Means for resiliently discharging pellets



Nov. 29, 1960 2,962,017

H. HOROWITZ ETAL MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY DISCHARGING PELLETS Filed Jan. 18, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l llllI lIJl llll-llll Ill Nov. 29, 1960 H. HoRowl-rz ETAL 2,952,017

MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY DISCHARGING PELLETS Filed Jan. 18, 1960 2 sheets-sheet 2 all",

United States Patent MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY DISCHARGING PELLETS Harry Horowitz, Brooklyn, and Abraham Schneiderman,

Westbury, N.Y. (both of 276 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.)

`Filed Jan. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 3,102

6 Claims. (Cl. 124-27) This invention relates generally to a pellet discharging means suitable for use as a toy or as an amusement device.

In the simulation of a revolver including a rotating cylindrical magazine, it is known in the art to provide a plurality of bores, each including an individual coil spring for propelling a pellet disposed in front of said spring when the bore becomes aligned with a barrel through which the pellet is discharged. In such constructions, the forward end of the pellet contacts a fixed wall or septum positioned adjacent the inner end of the barrel, which wall maintains the pellet within the bore against the action of the compressed spring until the cylindrical magazine has rotated to align the pellet with the barrel.

While this construction may be suitable for applications in which one-half dozen or less of such pellets are contained by the cylindrical magazine, where larger drum-like magazines containing a greater number of pellets are employed, the static friction existing between the forward surface of the individual pellets and the retaining wall is often so great as to prevent relative movement therebetween, so that it is impossible to rotate the magazine to align pellets for discharge.

It is therefore among the principal objects of the present invention to provide -an improved drum-type magazine of the class described in which the abovementioned static friction has been completely eliminated, thereby permitting easy rotation of the magazine with respect to the rearward end of a barrel into which the pellets are discharged, whereby magazines of relatively large capacity may be employed.

v Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved magazine of the class described in which the bores in which the pellets are maintained prior to discharge are of a non-cylindrical configuration to include an offset portion having a lip for retaining the pellets in compressed condition prior to discharge, `and in which camming means is employed to align the pellets with an opening disposed forwardly of the pellets for subsequent discharge.

Still another object of `the invention lies in the provision of a novel pellet discharge device which may be used independently of a toy fire arm, as for example, in conjunction with a game in which small projectiles lare resiliently propelled against another object.

Still another object of the invention lies in the provision of devices of the class described, and possessed of the above advantages, in which the cost of fabrication may be of la reasonably low order, with consequent wide sale, distribution and use.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that the entire inventive construction may be fabricated by resort to synthetic resinous injection molding techniques, whereby relatively close tolerances may be obtained with a complete absence of machining operations.

These objects and features, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, will more fully appear in the progress of the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged central longitudinal sectional View as seen from the plane 3 3 in Figure 4.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view as seen from the plane 4-4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional View as seen from the plane 5-5 in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the second embodiment.

Figure 8 is a rear elevational view thereof.

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of the second embodiment showing the device grasped between the fingers of a user, and prior to discharge of a pellet.

Figure 10 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the second embodiment.

Figure l1 is a similar central longitudinal sectional View of the second embodiment, but showing the pellet in the process of being discharged.

In accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10, comprises broadly: a housing element 11, a stock element 12, a grip element 13, a trigger element 14, a barrel element 15, `and a magazine element 16. The elements 1li-16 are preferably formed from synthetic resinous material using injection molding techniques, although if desired, metallic construction may also be employed.

The housing element 11 includes an upper Wall 18 and a lower wall 19, which dene therebetween left and right openings 20 and 21 of generally rectangular shape. A forward wall 22 is provided with an opening 23 which forms the rear end of the barrel element 15. A rearward wall 24 is provided with a circular opening 25 to accommodate the trigger element 14. Extending downwardly from the upper wall 18 is a first or upper cam member 26. A second or lower cam member 28 is disposed upon -a cam support member 30, which may be formed integrally with the forward wall 22. As best seen in Figures 3 and 4, the upper cam member 26 is provided with a camming surface 27 adapted to extend inwardly into the magazine element 16, while the lower cam member 28 is provided with a corresponding camming surface 29 adapted to extend radially into the magazine element.

The stock element l2 and grip element 13 may be of conventional construction, and preferably of hollow synthetic material, in the interest of light weight. It will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, that both the stock element 12 and grip element 13 may be varied to other suitable configurations, such variation being within the scope of the present invention.

The trigger element 14 includes -a trigger member 35 supported for pivotal movement with respect to the housing element 11 by ya pintle 36, and including a fingerengaging portion 37, a hammer engaging cam portion 3S, and a forwardly extending portion 39 having a resiliently mounted pawl member 40. 'Ihe hammer member 41 may also be of conventional design and incorporates means (not shown) for firing paper caps, or in the alternative, other noise making means. It is supported upon a pintle 42 and includes `a relatively movable cam follower member 43 through which motion from the trigger member 35 is transmitted to simulate the well-known double action repeating mechanism.

The barrel element may be molded integrally with the housing element 11, a preferable construction. As best seen in Figure 3 in the drawings, the bore 46 is of considerably greater diameter than the individual pellets 48 with which the device is used, the inner end 47 thereof communicating with the abovementioned opening 43.

The magaine element 16 is generally cylindrical in configuration, and is bounded by a forward surface 50, a rearward surface 51 and first and second outer surfaces 52 and 53. Commencing at the forward surface 50 and extending rearwardly into the body of the element 16 are a first row of bores 54 and a second row of bores 55,l disposed concentrically therewith. Each of the boresincludes an outer end 56, an inner end 57 between which a non-circular enlarged portion S8 extends radially outwardly. As the outer end 56 is generally circular, there is formed a pellet-retaining shelf 59 against which the forward end 49 of a pellet 48 may be lodged. Secured at the inner end 57 is a coil spring 60 which is compressed upon the loading of a pellet 48. A continuous groove 61 extends inwardly between the first and second outer surfaces 52 and 53 to communicate with each of the bores 54, and a corresponding circular recess 62 communicates with the bores 55.

As best seen in Figure 2, the forward surface 50 of the magazine element 16 is normally exposed, and the device is loaded by manually inserting pellets 48 in each of the bores 54*55 until the forward end of the pellet may be moved laterally to engage the shelf 59 of each individual bore. This motion will simultaneously compress the spring 60 disposed within the bore, and thus resiliently urge the pellet outwardly of the magazine element as soon as the pellet is released. After completion of loading in this manner, movement of the trigger element in conventional manner will cause the pawl member 40 to engage the ratchet 44 and incrementally rotate the magazine in a counter clockwise direction as seen in Figure 4 wherein the cam members 26 and 28 may serially contact pellets 48 disposed in the bores 54 and 55 to cam the pellets into aligned condition for discharge, as best seen in Figure 3. As best seen in Figure 4, the bores 53 and S4 are radially disaligned, so that normal firing order will result in an alternate discharge from each of the bores 53-54, whereby the entire contents of the magazine element may be discharged with Aa single revolution of the same past the barrel element. It will be observed that no part of the pellets contact the relatively stationary housing element 11 during the rotation of the magazine element, whereby the friction encountered during such movement is confined solely to that existing between the camming surfaces 27 and 29 and the pellets 48.

Turning now to the second embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in Figures 6-11, inclusive, parts corresponding to those of the principal embodiment have been designated by similar reference characters with the additional prefix 1.

The second embodiment of the invention differs from the principal embodiment thereof in the provision of a single pellet-containing unit, which may be manually discharged by the thumb of the user without separate cam means. This `embodiment is particularly useful where stimulation of la firearm is not desired, and the device is used solely to discharge a pellet, as for example, might be done in the playing of a game of marbles, or the like.

We wish it to be understood that we do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

We claim:

l. Means for resiliently discharging a pellet comprising: a body, there being a first bore Vhaving an end opening extending into said body, said first bore having a first cross-sectional area at the inner end thereof, Iand a gengerally larger cross-sectional area near the outer end thereof to form an offset ledge within said first bore, a second bore communicating in a lateral direction with said first bore at a point intermediate the ends of said first bore, said end opening to said second bore corresponding generally in cross-sectional area to the inner end of said said first bore, resilient expansive means disposed within said first bore, a generally elongated pellet selectively disposed in the offset portion of said first bore, and means selectively projectable into said second bore to cam said pellet to aligned position wtih said end opening, whereby said resilient expansive means may discharge said pellet outwardly of said body.

2. Means for resiliently discharging a pellet comprising: a body, there being a first bore having an end opening extending into said body, said first bore having a first cross-sectional area at the inner end thereof, and a generally larger cross-sectional area near the outer end thereof lto form an offset ledge within said first bore, a second bore communicating in a lateral direction withl said first bore at a point intermediate the ends of said first bore, said end opening to said second bore corresponding generally in cross-sectional area to the inner end of said first bore, resilient expansive means disposed within said first bore, a generally elongated pellet selectively disposed in the offset portion of said first bore, and cam means selectively projectable into said second bore to cam said pellet to aligned position with said end opening, whereby said resilient expansive means may discharge said pellet outwardly of said body.

3. In combination: a pellet and means for resiliently discharging the same, said means including a body, there being a first bore yhaving a principal axis and a nonuniform cross-section along said axis, said first bore having a closed inner end and an open outer end, the open outer end of which corresponds in size to the cross-sectional -area of said inner end, there being a portion of said first bore which is greater in cross-sectional area than either of said ends, resilient means disposed within said first bore for urging said pellet outwardly of said body; a second bore communicating laterally with said first bore, and cam means selectively projectable into said second bore to align said pellet disposed within said first bore with said open end of said second bore.

4. In a toy firearm, a housing, a cylindrical magazine body rotatably mounted on said housing, said housing having a plurality of radially arranged bores, each of said bores having an open end extending into said magazine body, each of said bores having a first cross-sectional area alt the inner end thereof and a generally larger cross-sectional area near the open end thereof to form an offset portion in said bore, there being an auxiliary bore laterally communicating with each of said first mentioned bores at a point intermediate the ends thereof, said first end opening to said auxiliary bore corresponding generally in cross-sectional area to the inner end of said first mentioned bores, resilient expansive means disposed within each of said first mentioned bores, and cam means communicating with said auxiliary bore and extending into said first mentioned bores upon the rotation of said magazine body with respect to said housing.

5. In a toy firearm, a housing, a cylindrical magazine body rotatably mounted on said housing, said housing having a plurality of radially arranged bores, each of said bores having an open end extending into said magazine body, each of said bores having a first cross-sectional area at the inner end thereof and a generally larger cross-sectional area near the open end thereof to form an offset portion in said bore, there being an auxiliary bore laterally communicating with each of said first mentioned bores at a point intermediate the ends thereof, said first end opening to said auxiliary bore corresponding generally in crosssectional area to the inner end of said first mentioned bores, resilient expansive means disposed within each of said first mentioned bores, and cam means communicating with said auxiliary bore and extending into said first mentioned bores upon the rotation of said magazine body with respect to said housing; and a barrel associated With said housing, said cam means being positioned upon said housing to engage successive pellets in successive bores as said bores are aligned with said barrel by rotation of said magazine body with respect to said housing.

6. Structure as set forth in claim 5, further characterized by the body having a plurality of concentric rows of said first mentioned bores, and a corresponding plurality of cams for discharging pellets from each of said concentric rows.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

